Colorado Congressmembers Ask Biden To Reconsider Space Command Moving To Alabama

Donald Trump, Roger Towberman, John "Jay" Raymond
Alex Brandon/AP
Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, Commander U.S. Space Command, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, right, hold the flag as President Donald Trump gestures, during the presentation of the Space Force Flag in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 15, 2020, in Washington.

The entire Colorado congressional delegation wants the Biden Administration to revisit what it’s calling “the last-minute decision” to move U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Ala.

The decision was announced in the waning days of the Trump administration.

“Significant evidence exists that the process was neither fair nor impartial and that President Trump’s political considerations influenced the final decision,” the nine federal lawmakers wrote in a letter.

They’re asking Biden to “pause all actions related” to the move. The new president has not yet commented on the Space Command decision.

Aside from concerns about political influence, the letter — spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet — argued the move will undermine national security. It points out Colorado has been a focal point for space-based military assets and operations, and notes that it could lead to the command losing personnel who chose not to move from Colorado to Alabama. The letter also argues there was a lack of transparency and a lack of data in the selection process.

“In view of the effects on national security and the irregularities of the selection process, we request you pause all actions related to moving U.S. Space Command and immediately review the manner in which the Trump Administration conducted this process,” the letter states.

Colorado was the original home of U.S. Space Command from 1985 to 2002. When the combatant command was reformed in 2019, the state had four bases in contention to be its permanent home once again. But early last year, the Air Force scrapped the list and restarted the search from scratch

This letter follows one sent by GOP Rep. Doug Lamborn to Biden, before he took office, asking him to reverse the decision. If the decision stays in place, Space Command will still call Colorado Springs home for up to six more years.